Hydraulic engine of the piston and cylinder type



Feb. 1, 1955 T. s. COLLIER, SR J W HYDRAULIC ENGINE OF THE PISTON AND CYLINDER TYPE Filed. Dec. 1, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 1, 1955 T. s. COLLIER, SR 9700y9fi HYDRAULIC ENGINE OF THE PISTON AND CYLINDER TYPE Filed Dec. 1, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

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United States Patent HYDRAULIC ENGINE OF THE PISTON AND CYLINDER TYPE Thomas S. Collier, Sr., Uniontown, Pa.

Application December 1, 1950, Serial No. 198,708

2 Claims. (Cl. 121-122) This invention relates to hydraulic motors, and more particularly to a hydraulic engine of the cylinder type.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved hydraulic engine which is adapted to transmit torque from a fluid pressure pump to a crankshaft, said engine being simple in construction, providing smooth power transmission therethrough, and providing improved control of the energy transmitted from the pump to the crankshaft.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved hydraulic engine which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, which involves a very small number of parts, which is sturdy in construction, and which provides economical and eflicient power transmission therethrough.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of an improved hydraulic engine constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view, partly in cross-section, of the hydraulic engine of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an end elevational view of the engine of Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 1, showing the relative positions of the cams on one of the cam shafts employed in the motor;

Figure 6 is an enlarged longitudinal cross-sectional view taken through one of the rotary valves employed in the engine of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, the motor is generally designated at 11, and comprises a crankcase 12 on hich naled longitudinally in the crankshaft 12 and being formed with the respective cranks 15. The block 13 is formed with respective cylinders 16 and the crankshaft 14 is provided with a corresponding number of cranks 15. Each cylinder 16 is provided with a piston 17 connected to a corresponding crank by a piston rod 18, as shown in Figure 2. Designated at 19 is a cover plate which is secured on the top end of the block 13 and which serves as a cylinder head.

Communicating with the top end of each cylinder 16 through the cover plate 19 is a vertical conduit 20, each conduit 20 being provided with a spherical expansion chamber 21 communicating therewith, as shown in Fig ure 4, and having connected thereto the respective lateral branches 22 and 23. The lateral branches 23 are respectively connected to a fluid pressure conduit 24, and the lateral branches 22 are respectively connected to a fluid exhaust conduit 25. Designated at 26 is a fluid pressure pump having an intake conduit 27 connected to a fluid reservoir, not shown, the discharge port of the pump being connected to the pressure conduit 24 through a relief valve 23 and a manual control valve 29. The relief valve 28 is connected to a by-pass conduit 30 which is arranged in a conventional manner to by-pass fluid from the conduit 24 to the discharge conduit when the pressure in conduit 24 exceeds a predetermined value. The discharge conduit 25 is connected to the fluid pressure reservoir, not shown, and the intake conduit 27 of pump 26 is connected to said reservoir, whereby fluid may circulate continuously in the system.

Each of the pressure input branches 23 is provided 1S secured a cylinder block 13, a crankshaft 14 being jour- 2,700,961 Patented Feb. 1, 1955 a with a rotary valve 31 which includes a rotor 32 mounted therein arranged to oscillate between open and closed positions. Secured to the shaft of the rotor is an arm 33. Designated at 34 is a cam shaft which is journaled on the top plate 19 by means of bearing brackets 35, said cam shaft 34 carrying respective earns 36 underlying the respective valve arm 33. Each arm 33 is biased into engagement with its associated cam by a spring 37 connected between the end of the arm and the cover plate 19. The earns 36 are arranged so that the first and sixth cams are in phase, the second and fifth cams are in phase, and the third and fourth cams are in phase, the cams of the first, second and third cylinders being separated by -degree angular spacings, and the cams of the fourth, fifth and sixth cylinders being similarly separated by l20-degree angular spacings.

Figure 5 illustrates the angular separation of 120 between the cams of the first, second and third cylinders.

Each of the exhaust conduits 22 is provided with a similar rotary valve, designated at 31, the valves 31 being identical in construction to the valves 31 and being provided with the rotary arms 33'. Designated at 34' is a cam shaft journaled on the cover plate 19 by hearing members 35' and provided with cams 36 underlying the respective arms 33'. Each cam 36' is adapted to oscillate the rotor of its associated valve 31' responsive to rotation of the cam shaft 34', and each arm 33' is biased into engagement with its associated cam 36' by a spring 37 connecting the end of the arm 33 to the cover plate 19, as shown in Figure 4. At the ends of the respective cam shafts are secured respective sprocket wheels 38 and 38' which are coupled together by a sprocket chain 39. Each cam 36' is arranged out of phase with respect to the cam 36 of its associated cylinder 16. Therefore, the respective valves 31 are 180 out of phase with respect to their associated exhaust valves 31. The cam shafts 34 and 34' are driven simultaneously by their coupling chain 39, whereby the sequence of opening of the exhaust valves 31 is similar to that of the intake valves 31, except that the exhaust valves open one-half revolution of the cam shaft 34 later than the opening of the valves 31. Secured to the end of the cam shaft 34 is a second sprocket wheel 40 which is coupled by a sprocket chain 41 to a sprocket wheel 42 secured to the end of the crankshaft 15. The sprocket wheels 42, 40 and 38 are identical, whereby the shafts 34' and 34 rotate at the same speed as the crankshaft 15. The respective cranks 15 are, of course, arranged to have the same phase sequence as the earns 36, so that the valves 31 open on the downward or power strokes of the respective pistons 17 associated with the corresponding cylinders 16, and so that the exhaust valves 31' open on the upward strokes of the pistons.

In operation, the pump 26 forces fluid under pressure into the cylinders 16 through the respective intake valves 31, providing pressure for the downward or power strokes of each piston, and the exhaust valves 31' open successively to allow the associated pistons to discharge fluid from their corresponding cylinders 16, while other pistons are receiving fluid under pressure for their power strokes. The control valve 29 provides manual means for regulating the supply of pressure fluid to the cylinders 16, and thereby provides a means for controlling the speed of the crankshaft 15 without affecting the available torque of the crankshaft. It will therefore be apparent that a power transmission means has been described above which provides smooth transmission of power from the fluid pump to the crankshaft and which may be efliciently controlled over a wide range of speeds.

While a specific embodiment of an improved hydraulic engine has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a hydraulic motor having a block formed with a plurality of cylinders, a cover plate on said block overlying the cylinders, respective conduits connected to the cylinders through said cover plate, respective branch presunderstood that various modifications within sure conduits and branch exhaust conduits connected to the respective first-named conduits, respective oscillating intake valves in the pressure conduits, respective oscillating exhaust valves in the exhaust conduits, each of said intake and exhaust valves being provided with an extending arm, a first cam shaft journaled on the cover plate, respective cams on said first cam shaft engaging the respective arms on the intake valves for oscillating the intake valves responsive to rotation of the first cam shaft, a second cam shaft journaled on said cover plate, respective cams on the second cam shaft engaging the respective arms on the exhaust valves for oscillating the exhaust valves responsive to rotation of the second cam shaft, means coupling the shafts in 180 phase relation, and means for rotating said shafts.

2. In a hydraulic motor having a block formed with a plurality of cylinders, a cover plate on said block overlying the cylinders, respective conduits connected to the cylinders through said cover plate, respective branch pressure conduits and branch exhaust conduits connected to the respective first-named conduits, respective oscillating intake valves in the pressure conduits, respective oscillating exhaust valves in the exhaust conduits, each of said intake and exhaust valves being provided with an extending arm, a first cam shaft iournaled on the cover plate, respective cams on said first cam shaft engaging the respective arms on the intake valves for oscillating the intake valves responsive'to rotation of the first cam shaft, a second cam shaft journaled on said cover plate, respective cams on the second cam shaft engaging the respective arms on the exhaust valves for oscillating the exhaust valves responsive to rotation of the second cam shaft, means coupling the shafts in 180 phase relation, and means for rotating said shafts, said last-named means comprising sprockets on the respective cam shafts, a sprocket chain coupling said sprockets, and chain means for rotating one of said shafts.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 233,436 Russell Oct. 19, 1880 528,461 Browne et al. Oct. 30, 1894 593,994 Ernst Nov. 23, 1897 594,730 Dicey Nov. 30, 1897 729,602 Kelly June 2, 1903 740,203 Thomson Sept. 29, 1903 751,732 Hofmann Feb. 9, 1904 1,614,768 Ament Jan. 18, 1927 1,639,217 Dufwa Aug. 16, 1927 1,885,796 Boulet Nov. 1, 1932 

